So, you want to fish for England? Well, if that's the case I suppose this trial is as good a place to start as any. At least that's what twenty-two young Under-18 year old hopefuls from around the country thought. Unfortunately there could only be five winners, the remaining seventeen would go home deeply disappointed and have to try their luck again next year!
As always, the selection process would not be an easy one, as Steve Sanders, England U18 manager/coach, found when the initial applications came in. Because of the large number involved, Steve decided to break with normality and give the young pretenders a full five hours fishing, rather than the usual three hours, which championships are always run over. This would allow him time to give each competitor a chance to impress, not easy with the standard of this years crop. It's worth noting that England, yet again, does not follow the continental trend of holding several trials, over several weeks, when it comes to selecting a national side, whether it be youth or senior!

They travelled from near and far!
Our prospective England contenders, journeyed from as far away as Yorkshire and as close as nearby Farnborough, including a solitary female, Charlotte Gore. World Championships are open to all gender's, the most notable being Latvia's Rita Vera-Grabovski in the seniors division and the youth championships are no exception, but it would be tough with stiff opposition pegged all around her!

Steve had allocated each competitor with a peg, as opposed to a random draw. Any manager, whether in angling, football or ping-pong, usually has some rough idea of those who may or may not be viable, so will place them appropriately, in order to gain more insight into their abilities. That's not to say he doesn't view others with equal interest. This is a managers' lot, for his judgement could ultimately be called into question, therefore he needs to be sure, above all else, that the prime qualities of temperament and technique, outweigh any other in his selection!

Gold lake, the chosen trial venue, is widely acknowledged as one of southern England's finest silver fish waters, for it's these fish that the fortunate few will have to conquer come July, in a hot and humid Mantova, Northern Italy.

The 'Limits' imposed
Each competitor was allocated strict bait limits of 10 litres double leam, of which 6 litres must be used during the initial balling-in. Half a litre of caster, plus half kilo joker and hooker pack was all they were allowed. One other aspect of the bait was the top-up feeding. Everyone would have to use just ONE hand to form the top-up ball during the trial... again an international requirement.

The first test of ability was the 5-minute whistle, signalling the pre-feeding test. This was closely monitored by the manager, as getting it wrong could place someone in a negative position. Most seem to handle the test although, as expected, there were the odd lapse in timings and accuracy by some! It was as close to an international environment as Steve could make it.

No distractions were important
Once they all settled down, the focus was on catching and Gold lake didn't disappoint. First the roach moved in with nearly everyone taking advantage. Then you could see the odd strain of poles, as elastics gave way under something a bit bigger. Throughout the day, there was the noticeable individual competitiveness between each angler, as well as the lack of any parental guidance, due to the fact that they had all been banished from the trial stretch. Not a bad thing when you consider the unfair advantage some competitors may gain from their support and instruction, not to mention the disruption they would cause by their very numbers. In internationals, crowd/bystanders/watchers are kept behind taped-off area's to keep distractions to competitors down to a minimum. Steve didn't want any off this affecting his judgement call, hence their absence!

SODS LAW: Thinking ALL unecessary distractions had been removed, the manager could not have foreseen the arrival of Environment Agency Officers for a fishing license spot check. Fortunately the officers realised the inappropriate timing of the visit and ceased their inspection!SODS LAW: Thinking ALL unecessary distractions had been removed, the manager could not have foreseen the arrival of Environment Agency Officers for a fishing license spot check. Fortunately the officers realised the inappropriate timing of the visit and ceased their inspection!
By the halfway mark, there were about three who had clearly made sufficient impression into the managers mental checklist. There were still a couple of places to play for, and these looked to be between 4-6 youngsters. There was still some quality bream coming out, as the final weigh-in would confirm, but it wouldn't be weight which would necessarily decide whether any competitor would gain selection!

It had been encouraging to see such a consistent level of experience from ones' so young. Indeed, the equipment they possessed and used were testament to the dedication, perseverance and, in no small part, to their parents financial input. All performed well and it was going to be a shame that many of them would return home empty-handed, except for the valuable experience, and perhaps the added incentive, to re-apply next year if they learn from the trials' undoubted lessons.
'Crunch-time'
Once the five hours were up, parents/helpers were allowed to follow the weigh-in and talk to their respective charges. It was now that the real nerves probably 'kicked-in', as many would have possessed high expectations from the day and now it would 'make-or-break' for many of them. The weights started well with Richard Kendrick recording a creditable near-12lb from the first peg. These expectedly, rose and dipped as the scales moved along the stretch, nevertheless, the final average weight of the 22 competing 'young-guns' was 19lb, very impressive!We include a catchshot of each of them, as they were all entitled to be rightly proud of their performances'.

The final selection chosen was: Reece Nicholson, Ryan Watson, Ben Taylor, Connor Barlow and Alex Clements. Good luck to all of them in July when they face the rest of the world's U18 age group, on what promises to be a scorching Canal Bianco-Fissero Tartaro, in northern Italy's Mantova region.

Steve's final choice: (L to R) Connor Barlow, Ben Taylor, Manager Steve Sanders, Alex Clements, Reece Nicholson, Ryan Watson.Steve's final choice: (L to R) Connor Barlow, Ben Taylor, Manager Steve Sanders, Alex Clements, Reece Nicholson, Ryan Watson.
Special thanks needs to be made to Gold Valley boss John Raison. He actively spoke to each youngster, prior to the 'Off', to enquire if they had everything they needed and if they were comfortable with their peg. JR also supplied all the facilities FOC for these trials, which greatly helped with the budget Steve has to work with. Speaking of which, Sensas support this division with a generous £5.5K sponsorship. Without them, Steve and his young team would struggle to cope with the financial burden involved in fishing for their country at such a high level.
 
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